[snip]

“I can’t think of anything that raises concerns.” Kord said after looking thoughtful for a moment, “Do you want me to stay for the meeting with Lieutenant Davis?”

“Yes, if she doesn’t mind,” replied Glen. “I’ll ask her first.”

=/\= Glen to Lieutenant Davis. I am free in my Ready Room now. Would you mind if Comander Kord attended too? =/\=

=^=Yes actually I would prefer it. Thank you.=^= Bre said as she left her quarters.

As she stepped onto the bridge she nodded to Anna before ringing the ready room chime.

“Please come in,” called Glen.

When the door swooshed open he added, “Sorry for my delay in seeing you. Please take a seat.”

Bre entered the ready room with a mix of sadness, exhilaration, and confidence. She smiled warmly at both of them before taking her seat.

“Commander, Captain, thank you for seeing me. I’m sure it’s not going to be any shock to you that I’ve come to discuss my future on the Merrimack. Now besides the obvious fact that I’ve just become a mother to twins, there are some things going on in my life that I’ve actually managed to keep under wraps until now but I can get to that later if you like.”

Bre felt that one of the reasons she had been allowed to do so much on the Merry was because, in the end, she had always remembered her place. There was no reason to change that now.

-Bre, Comms/Linguist

Glen briefly looked to Kord to see if he had anything he wanted to say at this point.

Glen was happy to let Bre continue and to do the talking. “Please do continue. If we know all the facts then we can try better to accommodate your wishes.”

Glen thought that he knew everything that went on aboard the Merrimack, but in reality that was almost impossible.

Glen, CO

Bre settled again and sighed. Opening a folder, she passed two copies of a rather formal looking letter across to them. She had had it painstakingly translated from Vulcan to something more readable.

“That is a letter offering me a job actually. The Advanced Language Institute on Vulcan has offered me the position of visiting professor. This is such a rare honor I thought it was a joke of some kind. I’m so young, comparatively speaking, and I would be the first Human ever to have such a position.”

Bre paused and looked at her Captain and Commander. They were both very special to her in their own way. She trusted Kord to keep her lineage from tangling with the Boudreaux’s for at least 102 years and Captain Glen had always shown such faith in her that it gave her the type of confidence she would need in this next phase of her life.

“So I guess what I’m saying is that I will be leaving the Merrimack to start this new adventure and to protect Glen and Emmy because I’m the only one who can.”

Glen didn’t know what to say. It hadn’t been what he had expected to hear at all. The job offer was fantastic; not one to be turned down, and it had come at such an opportune time for her. Glen glanced at Kord again who had remained stoical up to this point.

Kord arched an eyebrow at Glen.

“I see… ” said Glen. “What a fantastic opportunity to have been given to you! May I read, please?” Glen reached to take a copy of the letter.

Kord was of the thought that it was an excellent opportunity for Bre and would be much lower risk where her newborn children were involved.

The letter detailed Bre’s position and her tenure. It also outlined more personal matters such as a small dwelling and staff to be provided. As Bre watched them read, she sat back certain she was doing the right thing but sad to be leaving all the same.

“And if you’ll notice, down at the very end, there’s a generous clause stating that I can take sabbatical should I feel the need for more field study. This has always been my home. This is the twins’ first home. I would be honored if you would allow us to come back when the situation is favorable of course.” Bre said.

“I don’t think I need to say, but you should certainly take up this offer. Very few people get offered positions like this. And if they need any reference, or supplementary information, then we will obviously help. We will have great difficulty in finding an experienced Comms offiicer to replace you, but that is a problem for us. I personally, have no problem with you returning to the Merrimack at some point in the future, but it isn’t up to me to offer sabbaticals. I can ask Starfleet Command for you though, and I’m sure they would consider it. I mean to say, how could I not jump at the chance of having an officer aboard with experience at the Advanced Language Institute on Vulcan. As for the twins, Kord and I were actually going to discuss with you how your saw their future aboard the Merrimack, until you dropped this bombshell on us. Neither of us think that a Starfleet starship is a safe environment for bringing up infant children, and quite frankly, I cannot ever see a time when that will change. It is dangerous in all kinds of ways, and while there are many learning opportunities to grasp from being out here, that is partly offset by the constant disruptions to their education. As for the very young children, I did once believe that could work, but my experience with my own son proved me wrong. Andromeda left me, and took baby Iain back to her mother in France. So, we were really thinking very hard about how to make the necessary changes that would enable you to stay.”

Bre had never heard the Captain mention his son before or, perhaps, she had just been studying too hard. She was touched by the thought of Kord and the Captain taking such an interest in the welfare of her children. She knew that it was partially because it was their job but hoped that there was a little more to it.

“I’ve thought of keeping them here and trying to remain on board for as long as I could but when force fields had to be set up in sickbay just to keep us safe, that was a wake up call for me. With such an opportunity falling into my lap, it seems like the universe wants me somewhere else for now.”

Bre took a PaDD and placed it on the table for Glen and Kord.

“I know that you gentlemen will make the final call on who takes my place but I couldn’t leave my family with just any comms officer. Here are half a dozen qualified people that I would be proud to see on the Merrimack. Of course, it’s your call.” she said.

On the PaDD were names and short bios of three Humans, one Vulcan, one Denobulan, and one Andorian.

“Are these colleagues you have worked with? In what capacity can you vouch for them?” asked Glen. “What I mean to say is that a language academic, or even an interpreter use to working on other planets, they cannot understand what it is to work on a starship. There are pressures you have been put under that only a very special person could deal with.”

“What do you think, Kord?” asked Glen. “I’m free to discuss these candidates with you now, if you would like?”

Glen, CO

OOC: I followed link to bio. Yes, fine!